"So what exactly are you making?" I asked, looking over Geralf's shoulder as he leant over the slab.
"Do you know what a stitcher is?" He asked, shaking his head when I shook mine. "I use various body parts to create masterpieces."
"That's kind of cool. If you don't mind me asking why do you and your sister fight so much?" I asked and he paused, a needle threaded through the neck of the zombie.
"We...have a difference of opinion in who is better at what we do. I wrote up a set of rules months ago and she deliberetly refused to go along with any of them." Geralf grumbled and I nodded, trying very hard not to grimace as he resumed stitching his creature.
"That's pretty mean. You went to all that trouble and she makes fun of you." I told him and he lifted his head, giving me a tiny smile.
"Thank you. At least someone here understands my genius." Geralf replied and I gave him an echoing smile, secretly wondering if I could use his proud nature to my advantage. I knew I could just planeswalk away but I wasn't sure if I could bring myself back to Ravnica in one piece. "Now that my creation is nearly finished would you like to see it?" He asked and I blinked, looking at him to see him with his eyebrow raised at me.
"Of course. Would you like me to wait inside the lab?" I asked and he chuckled, slipping the needle through once more before he bit the thread.
"Wait outside for me, Ailis." He told me and I nodded, heading into the room beyond. As I moved through the doorway I heard a whistle and I looked around until I saw Gisa standing there with several zombies groaning beside her.
"My brother thinks he's better than me." Gisa commented, arms at her sides and I shook my head. "He does. He even wrote those silly rules that he expected me to obey. Like we're both still children." She complained and I gave her a sympathetic smile, not liking the smile she gave me. Something about it sent a shiver down my spine making me wonder if she was a little unhinged.
"I doubt that he thinks of you like that, Gisa. I can see you and Geralf have your differences but you're both very powerful people." I told him and she giggled, clapping her hands together. "Believe me I do understand." I added, a little bemused at how easily I could charm them.
I'm probably the only one that has gotten this close without being bumped off.
Very heavy footsteps woke me from my thoughts and I turned just as Geralf's lastest masterpiece, as he called it anyway, burst through the doorway. Taking most of the door with it as it stepped almost delicately into the room. It stood over me, at least twice my size and a good deal greener than me. Also a lot deader judging from the slight odor of decay that made my nose water. But I pretended not to notice as Geralf strolled into the room, wiping some dark stains onto his labcoat as he did.
"What do you think? Even you have to admit that this is a very impressive creature, dear sister." Geralf laughed, smirking when Gisa frowned at him. Chewing her lip for a moment she suddenly smiled but as she started to open her mouth I raised a hand.
"It is very impressive, Geralf." I interrupted and his face broke into a huge smile. At my side Gisa rolled her eyes at me and I just shrugged, finding his smile a lot more pleasant than Gisa's. Which was strange considering Geralf had had a scalpel inches from my face only a short time ago.
"I guess it is a little impressive, brother." Gisa agreed but I could see that same cold smile on her face. "For a weak skaab." She added and I sighed when Geralf's cheeks darkened.
"Can't you two agree on anything?" I asked and they both stared at me. "Never mind. It was a stupid question to ask." I muttered under my breath before I walked towards the front door.
Once Gisa and Geralf joined me outside, along with half a dozen zombies and one stitched skaabb, I stood a good distance away as both necromancers waited to battle. Even before Geralf was ready, Gisa sent her zombies towards his skaab and he quickly shouted an order for it to attack back.
I watched, somewhat reluctantly, as the two necromancers shouted orders back and forth. Rolling my eyes at them both I crossed my arms just as one of the zombies grabbed at the arm of the skaab. It lunged forward and the skaab roared in pain or maybe anger as the zombie bit into the muscle keeping its arm attached. Growling the skaab spun its arm around and the zombie lost its grip, flung into the others. Geralf grinned only to frown, letting out a groan that echoed the zombies as the skaab's arm tore free.
Grinning, Gisa ordered the zombies to pull the skaab down to the ground. They rushed together, their teeth grabbing at its remaining arm and legs. The skaab fought back, crushing one's head before their combined weight pulled it to the ground. It fought back for several seconds before one of the zombies tore out its throat while the rest worked together to tear the skaab apart.
Staring, Geralf didn't respond as Gisa laughed at her win. Even I shook my head a little surprised that something so powerful looking could be brought down by a bunch of rotting corpses. Now that it was safe I walked over to Geralf to find him muttering under his breath before he stomped back towards his labratory.
"He's such a child." Gisa grinned and I swallowed as her zombies continued their destruction of the skaab. "Knowing my brother he'll probably stay in his lab and sulk. I'm going to find some more zombies to play with. Maybe if I'm really lucky someone alive...well not after I find them anyway." She told me, heading into the fog as I stared at her.
Shaking my head I started for the lab wondering if Geralf really would be sulking. I stepped quickly but quietly into the building to find him standing near the slab in the middle of the room. To my amusement he had a scowl on his face, chewing his lower lip as I watched.
He didn't notice when I headed his way and it wasn't until I cleared my throat that he finally looked up, just about tripping over his own feet when I grinned at him. "Geeze I didn't think my smile was that frightening. Granted I look a little different than I used to but..." I trailed off when he gave me a tiny smile, brushing his hands on his shirt.
"I was merely lost in thought." Geralf explained and I giggled to see his cheeks slightly pink. "It is true, Ailis." He insisted and I rolled my eyes at him, hands on my hips.
"Yeah okay. So you're here because you're a good winner and not because you're mad that your sister's zombies torn your creation apart. Limb from limb." I teased and he snorted, growling softly under his breath. "Alright I get it. It was a pretty cool creature you came up with." I admitted and his one visible eye widened.
"Cool?! Brilliant maybe. Or magnificent yes. Those would be sufficient. But not cool." Geralf argued and I couldn't help giggling at how wide his eye went.
I ended up hunched over as I giggled, not noticing the tiny smile he fixed me with a moment later. Or the way his gaze moved over my body before his eye rested on the front of my dress, his cheeks reddening before his eye moved to the slab in the center of the room.